Deepak Chahar scored 54 off 34 balls in the third ODI but failed to take India over the line.
Deepak Chahar brought India close to a win but he couldn't finish the run-chase. Going after a target of 288 runs, the tourists got bowled out for 283 runs in 49.2 overs. Chahar, the bowling all-rounder scored 54 off 34 deliveries before getting out to Lungi Ngidi in the 48th over.
After the game, India head coach Rahul Dravid praised Chahar, saying the side would like to give him more of a consistent run in the playing XI.
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"I mean Deepak Chahar has shown in the opportunities he has gotten with us in Sri Lanka and over here well, he has got some really good ability with the bat. We know what he can do with the ball as well. I have seen him at India A as well and I know he can bat really well so certainly gives us a lot more options," said Dravid during a virtual press conference, as quoted by ANI.
"It is nice to have people like him and Shardul Thakur as well, who we have seen in the last couple of games, contribute with the bat as well. So, obviously, the more and more players like this who can contribute lower down, certainly makes a big difference and give us more options. So, certainly we would like to give Deepak more games along with Shardul and lot of other people who can step up in the course of next year or so and give us depth in the side," he added.
Dravid acknowledged that the series sweep is an early wake-up call for Team India going into the 2023 World Cup.
"I think this ODI series has been a good eye-opener for us. We have not played a lot of ODIs, this has been my first stint with the ODI side. Even the team itself has not played many ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. Luckily, we have got time to go before the 2023 World Cup. It is going to be a lot of cricket in white-ball format till 2023."
"It is going to be a good opportunity for us to really reflect and learn and keep getting better. We will get better, there is no doubt that. We certainly good do better with the batting in middle overs, we understand the template and we know a large part of that template is also dependent on the balance of your squad," he remarked.
Coming to the third ODI, Proteas posted 287/10 on the board in 49.5 overs after being asked to bat first. Quinton de Kock starred with the bat, scoring 124 off 130 balls while Rassie van der Dussen contributed 52.
Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the bowlers for India, claiming three wickets by conceding 59 runs in his 9.5 overs. Jasprit Bumrah (2-52) and Deepak Chahar (2-53) also picked two scalps each.
"If you are honest, some of the guys who can balance the side are out and are not here available for selection. When they come back, they will probably give us a little more depth which allows us to play in a certain different style. Having said that, even South Africa who batted first twice, on two occasions scored only 290 as well," said Dravid.
"If I look at the 30-over mark in both those games, we should have chased down the target, we did not because we played some poor shots and we did not play smart cricket in critical situations. But having said that, there is a lot we can learn from this series, there is a lot to reflect on and we will get better," he added.
(With ANI inputs)